Posts Tagged ‘Steve Cooper’

A recent Washington Post op-ed from two top economists highlights the need for apprenticeship to help U.S. workers gain a competitive edge. Stuart E. Eizenstat, a former adviser to Presidents Carter and Clinton, and American University economics professor Robert I. Lerman argue that a growing natural gas industry means manufacturing jobs could be...

Nurture versus Nature. It is the age-old philosophical question of human development that has been asked of countless people who display out of the ordinary physical ability, moral positions or social proclivities. Were you born that way? Or were you taught to be that way? Any baseball fan who has had the pleasure of watching [&hellip...

Sad news came down labor’s mountain this morning when the Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) of the AFL-CIO announced the death of United Association (UA) Local 669 member Morris Bridges in a statement by President Sean McGarvey. Bridges, a sprinklerfitter, was a volunteer first responder on the scene of the horrifying West,...

When you picture all of the employers who might need a temporary, foreign worker with a visa such as H-2B, who comes to mind? A large employer with so many vacancies that they can’t secure enough American workers, right? After all, these visas are supposed to be reserved for employers who can prove that there [&hellip...

Today marked the beginning of the 2013 Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) National Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. The conference brings together construction trades union leaders and members from around the country to participate in workshops and hear guest speakers. This year’s speakers include Senators Michael...

A heartwarming action taking place in Medford, MA this morning. Via Teamster Nation: Hundreds of Boston Teamsters from Local 25 are answering the call to protect Krystle Campbell’s funeral from a possible protest by Westboro Baptist church members. Campbell, 29, was killed in the Boston Marathon bombings. Hundreds of Teamsters formed a solid...

Hilarious image passed along by a friend. Of course, the Steve Jobs aspect to this could be perceived as decidedly anti-worker, but the sentiment seems well-placed. Cue “Kevin Bacon Eternal Life SuperPAC....

Newly granted contracts to provide uniforms for United States Customs and Border Protections (CBP) contain one very ironic piece of information: they will largely be manufactured in Mexico. WHY AM I TYPING? THIS POST WRITES ITSELF. Via CPA Trade Reform: The latest contract with the company was awarded on Dec. 20, 2012, to make “uniform...

With talk of #PaidSickDays legislation roiling New York, Pennsylvania and Florida (to name a few…), construction workers in the Northwest are telling a cautionary tale you might not expect to hear from union workers. Portland, Oregon has a stricter Paid Sick Days law than the one about to hit NYC. It mandates that any employer [&hellip...

It has been over a year since we first addressed Meriden, Connecticut’s interest in a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for school construction which required a tie-breaking vote cast by the city’s Mayor for approval. So, it is rather shocking to read about new developments in what seemed like an “old news” item. But an article...

Last week we highlighted a Dale Belman article which discussed a University of Utah study that supported prevailing wages. The topic is hot in Michigan as anti-worker legislators take aim at this important protection. Now, Michigan’s Laborers’ Union-affiliated Labor-Employers Cooperation & Education Trust (LECET) has weighed in on...

There are two things you need to know about Thomas Perez, the man nominated by President Obama to be the new Secretary of Labor: 1) Thomas Perez is the man. 2) the GOP will denounce Thomas Perez because he is the man (or because he was nominated by Obama). To point 1) As secretary of [&hellip...